(R&S Racing Photos) – Qualifying Results – OFFICIAL Race Results
Lucas Oil Raceway kicks off 11th season of CRA Late Model Sportsman Series racing
Brownsburg, Indiana (Friday, April 24, 2015): After almost a month delay with the cancelation of the 6th Annual Cabin Fever Championships which were originally scheduled for March 28-29th, the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Powered by JEGS finally kicked off the 2015 racing season at Lucas Oil Raceway. The Circle City speed plant located west of Indianapolis in Brownsburg, Indiana served as hosts of the Spring Classic 30 which highlighted the opening round of the tracks’ new LOR Stock Car Series Presented by Visit Hendricks County
The immaculate (0.686) mile semi-banked paved oval’s 2015 racing season got started with their five-race mini-series in its’ first season at the track with the 12th all-time CRA Late Model Sportsman Series race at LOR highlighting the evening of racing. When the checkered flag flew, it would be Shawn Amor who would cap off a perfect day at the track. The Plymouth, Indiana driver broke his own Track Record in Allstar Performance / Scorpion Racing Products Qualifying by 0.218 seconds and then in the 30-lap Feature, he grabbed the lead away from 18-year-old Trey Craig on lap 16 and would walk away with his second career CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Feature Win.
“When the Cabin Fever Championships got canceled last month, we didn’t touch the car. We thrashed on the car getting it ready for that race so we didn’t touch it until we got here and unloaded,” Explained the 36-year-old after his dominating performance behind the wheel of his #28 Whitman’s Auto Sales / Amor Automotive / Chevrolet. “I just love this track so much. It’s by far my favorite place to come race. I’ll be here for all of these LOR Stock Car Series races. I really appreciate the crowd that came out tonight even though it was so cold.” He added.
After Amor smashed his own Track Record in Qualifying, he then drew the minimum invert of a five for the 30-lap main which placed a pair of teenagers, 17-year-old Jared Thomas and 19-year-old Billy Van Meter on the front row for the Spring Classic 30. Van Meter, the 2014 CRA Fall Brawl winner at LOR last September, shot out to the early lead with Thomas in tow. On lap five though, 18-year-old Trey Craig, the 2014 Cabin Fever winner at LOR, utilized the outside lane and drove around Van Meter to take over the top spot. Soon Amor followed Craig by and moved into second.
Craig maintained the high side throughout the event as Amor kept working the bottom lane. Finally on lap 16 Amor would clear Craig coming out of turn two and proceed to pull away from him and the rest of the field. A brief rain passed over the track forcing a small delay in finishing the race. That was about the only thing that was going to stop Amor who pulled away from the field once again when the green flag came back out and sailed to his second career victory to go with his first ever triumph back on August 10th, 2014 at Angola Motorsport Speedway (IN).
When the checkered flag flew, the 18-year-old Craig would have to settle for second in his #15 DCI General Contractors / Chevrolet as the Louisville, Kentucky teenager, a three-time event winner in CRA Late Model Sportsman Series competition, including one of those triumphs at LOR, didn’t leave the Circle City empty-handed as he would win the Racing Electronics Second To None Award for his efforts.
In just his fourth career start in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series, 17-year-old Jared Thomas, who started p1 when the green flag flew, would stay in the top three all race long en route to a career high third place showing in his #96 T-K Trucking / Ford. The North Vernon, Indiana teenager also scored the AR Bodies Cool Move of the Race Award when he wisely backed out of a potential three-wide battle coming out of turn two as he was fighting with Craig and Amor for the lead at the midway point of the event.
Van Meter, who led the first four laps of the race in his #23 EDCO Welding / Chevrolet would stay in the top five all race long as the Indianapolis, Indiana driver finished in fourth. The 19-year-old driver stayed with the leaders for most of the race before fading away from the battle up front. Veteran Scott Tomasik, primarily known for his open-wheeled Modified success, finished fifth in his CRA Late Model Sportsman Series debut behind the wheel of his #8 Indiana Drywall Company / Chevrolet. The 27-year-old, the 2008 ICAR Top Speed Modified Tour Champion started eighth and snuck his way into the top five late in the race and would hold the position for a top five in his series debut.
Eric McGlothlen started 12th and would bring home a sixth place finish ahead of the highest finishing 2015 Rookie of the Year title contender, 14-year-old Hunter Jack who would score his third straight top 10 finish in three career starts with a seventh. Josh Cave brought home a solid eighth place effort ahead of Don Mahaffey Jr., as the Buckeye State veteran competitor scored a ninth place finish in his CRA Late Model Sportsman Series debut. A second 2015 Rookie of the Year title contender, Reed White finished off the top 10 in his series debut and also won the Racing Electronics Hard-Charger Award for his 20th to 10th place run.
Earlier in the day in Allstar Performance/Scorpion Racing Products Qualifying, Amor broke his own Track Record around the Circle City speed plant when he became the first driver in CRA Late Model Sportsman Series history to break into the 22-second bracket at LOR. Amor’s new record is now a 22.879 which measures out to 107.942mph. Amor’s time was 0.218 seconds faster than his old Track Record, which was a 23.097 that he set back on April 6th, 2014.
The first official points race of the 2015 racing season for the Vore’s Welding CRA Late Model Sportsman Series Powered by JEGS will see the series make their first of four appearances to the track that has hosted the series the most in their 11-year history: Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana. The Anderson 75 is set for Saturday, May 2nd at the fast 1/4 (0.250) mile high-banked paved oval as the series has visited Anderson on 27 occasions.
Jason Atkinson leads the way with the most victories at the Central Indiana speed plant with six career wins. Two-Time Series Champion (2011 & 2006) Keith Sterkowitz is next on the list with four total victories. Another Two-Time Series Champion, (2010 & 2009) Charlie Hanna and the late Al Cook Jr., both have two wins each and so do Chris Hacker and Trey Craig. Defending Series Champion, Greg Van Alst as well as 2008 Series Champion, Tony Dager both have single victories each while Quinnton Bear, Danny Trent, Jeff Marcum, Ronnie Rose, Brett Robinson, Steve Stacy and Steve Blair also have one trip to victory lane each on their resume.
For more information about the fast approaching 2015 racing season for all four touring series’ within Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS, go to the series website at: www.cra-racing.com You can also follow along with all of CRA’s touring series’ all season long on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ChampionRacingAssociation and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CRAracing Finally for more information about Anderson Speedway, the host track for the second race of the 2015 racing season, go to the track website at: www.andersonspeedway.com
